A partnership of L&L Holding Company and Lehman Brothers Holdings picked Foster + Partners following a six-month competitive process.
The new building at 425 Park Avenue is intended to create an enduring landmark. The tapered steel-frame tower rises to meet three shear walls that will be illuminated. The facade is designed to integrate with the innovative internal arrangement that allows for three gradated tiers of column-free floors.
The large, open spaces are being provided to allow for flexible use. Each of the three tiers – low, medium and high-rise – is defined by a landscaped terrace that provides an amenity for tenants and offers panoramic views across Manhattan and Central Park.
At street level, there is the potential for a large civic plaza featuring works of art.
Lord Foster said: “I have a personal connection with New York, which has been a source of inspiration since my time at Yale, when the new towers on Park Avenue and its neighbourhoods were a magnet for every young architect. Seeing first-hand the works of Mies van der Rohe, Gordon Bunshaft, Eero Saarinen and Philip Johnson was tremendously exciting then – I am delighted to have this very special opportunity to design a contemporary tower to stand alongside them. Our aim is to create an exceptional building, both of its time and timeless, as well as being respectful of this context – a tower that is for the City and for the people that will work in it, setting a new standard for office design and providing an enduring landmark that befits its world-famous location.”
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